I spoke with the legislative staff at Senator Harris’s office last week, and Feinstein’s this yesterday. I also spoke with Larry Smith of ARRA because I was told he was just in Feinstein’s office. All these folks are in Washington.

HR 1913, CCRA, is now in the ENR, Energy Natural Resources Committee. Larry Smith is contacting all members of that committee.

The long and winding road to reopen the Clear Creak Management Area (CCMA) in southern San Benito County, closed in 2008, has taken much longer than retired Congressman Sam Farr could have thought it would when he first introduced a bill in 2012 to reopen it. Clear Creek was closed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) after an International Research Foundation (IRF) study found a minimal health risk to off-highway vehicle (OHV) users from naturally occurring asbestos in the Serpentine Area. The bill has less than a month to be approved before having to be resubmitted to Congress. But even if it were approved today, it would most likely be another two years before the area would be opened again to the public.

Just came across this article. I'm not sure what, if anything, can be done to try to get this thing passed this month. Resubmission would just mean more delays.

""This is my shield. I bear it before me into battle, but it is not mine alone. It protects my city. I will never let my brother out of its shadow nor my city out of its shelter. I will die with my shield before me... facing the enemy." Author Unknown "

done, thanks Butch
Didn't the ama used to have these easy to use letter generators? I couldn't find one there.

Yeah but... Timing is important, and it is good to keep our legislators reminded... It is really, really important that when HR1913 is being discussed in committee or on the floor we inundated the Senators with calls, letters and emails.

If we did that all the time it would be good, but folks have jobs and kids and stuff. AMA, CORVA, BRC usually waits until something is in the frying pan before issuing a call to action and a letter generator. ARRA too. I am not sure how I came across this one.

I talked to Larry Smith with ARRA; he is in Washington DC doing this all the time. He rocks.

Thanks to all you guys. I'll try to get a status update.

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Butch
Hodaka Ace 90. I've been riding these things too long. What can I say? How about that Combat Wombat?

"The bill has been sitting since July 12 in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee for review. According to Panetta’s office, the Senate has until the end of the 115th Congress, Jan. 2, 2019, to pass the bill. ENR leadership will determine which bills are brought up for a hearing and voted on. Typically, the majority will pick bills that align with their legislative agenda and the minority will push for bills that align with theirs. If there is not enough support by either party, the bill will stay in the committee and not receive a hearing or a vote.

If the bill does not become law during the 115th Congress, Panetta will need to reintroduce it in either the House or the Senate. He has until the end of December 2018 to get the bill signed into law. If it does not pass, he will have to reintroduce it, yet again, in the 116th Congress, January 2019-January 2021."

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Butch
Hodaka Ace 90. I've been riding these things too long. What can I say? How about that Combat Wombat?

Maybe we should stop using the term "natural occurring asbestos" because, technically, there is not such a thing.

The BLM and the EPA could be attempting to mislead the public to create unnecessary fear by using the term "natural occurring asbestos." Natural occurring serpentine deposits are common throughout California. In fact, serpentine is designated by the California legislature as the "State Mineral." Natural occurring serpentine regularly contains a mineral called "chrysotile," which is a commonly used mineral for asbestos production.

Many chrysotile deposits found throughout the world also contain other fibrous minerals, which are also used to product asbestos. Some of these other fibrous minerals have been linked with certain disease. But chrysotile has not been linked to any disease. It is critical to recognize that the chrysotile deposits found throughout the CCMA are free of those other fibrous minerals that have linked to disease.

The very small amounts of asbestos found in the EPA Clear Creek study is archaeological debris artifact residual from historic commercial importation. Portions of a Furnace and Piping left behind from the "early days" of Clear Creek is an example of this.

Congressman Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) introduced the Clear Creek National Recreation Area and Conservation Act, H.R. 403. The legislation directs the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to protect 21,000 acres of BLM land adjacent to Clear Creek by designating the area the Joaquin Rocks Wilderness. It would also reopen the 63,000-acre Clear Creek National Recreation Area in San Benito and Fresno counties for public outdoor recreation, including off-road vehicles and hiking.

“By introducing this bill, I am proud to continue the legacy of our local leaders, including former Congressman Sam Farr, to protect and preserve California’s public lands for future generations,” Panetta in the statement. “Preserving the Joaquin Rocks Wilderness will bolster our conservation efforts and reaffirm our commitment to protecting our pristine environment on the Central Coast. At the same time, reopening the Clear Creek National Recreation Area will promote recreation and tourism in our district.”

Once considered a premier off-road vehicle recreation site, Clear Creek was temporarily closed in 2008 to the public after an Environmental Protection Agency analysis about potential risk created by naturally occurring asbestos. Congressman Panetta’s bill instructs the BLM to develop a rigorous plan to minimize the risk from asbestos exposure and educate visitors about the naturally occurring asbestos. The BLM would also be required to find ways to reduce the impact of off-road vehicles to protect the area’s habitat.

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If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.